Lose your belly with proteins

• Protein shakes help to lose weight and belly fat

Lose your belly with protein Protein is an important nutrient for weight loss. Getting enough protein can boost metabolism, reduce appetite, and help lose body fat without losing muscle. Protein shakes are an easy way to add more protein to your diet, and they have been shown to help with weight loss. This article explains everything you need to know about protein shakes and how they affect your weight.

• What are protein shakes?

Protein shakes are beverages made by mixing protein powder with water, although other ingredients are often added as well. Shakes can be a convenient addition to the diet, especially when access to quality protein-rich foods is limited. Although most people do not need them to meet their daily protein needs, they can be helpful if you need to increase your intake for any other reason. You can buy protein powder and mix it yourself, but you can also find many different brands of ready-to-drink shakes. Some of the most popular types of protein powder on the market include:

• Whey protein: Absorbs quickly, dairy-based. Contains all essential amino acids.
• Casein protein: Absorbs slowly, milk-based. Contains all essential amino acids.
• Soy protein: Plant-based and contains all essential amino acids. Also contains soy isoflavones, which may provide some health benefits.
• Hemp protein: Plant-based and high in omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, low in the essential amino acid lysine.
• Rice protein: Low in the essential amino acid lysine.
• Pea protein: Low in the non-essential amino acids cysteine and methionine.

Some brands contain a blend of different types of protein powders. For example, many brands combine plant-based types to complement each other’s amino acid profiles. Conclusion: Protein shakes can contain different types of proteins, each with its own characteristics.

• Protein shakes reduce hunger and appetite

Protein can decrease hunger and appetite mainly in two ways. First, it increases levels of appetite-reducing hormones such as GLP-1, PYY, and CCK, while reducing levels of the hunger hormone, ghrelin. Second, protein helps you feel full for longer. In one study, a high-protein breakfast helped participants consume up to 135 fewer calories by the end of the day. In another, overweight men on a weight loss diet increased their protein intake to 25% of their total calories. This increase in protein cut cravings by 60% and snacking in the afternoon and late at night. Increasing protein intake from 15% to 30% of total calories helped participants in another study consume 441 fewer calories per day without actively tracking calories. Moreover, by the end of the 12-week study period, they had lost an average of 5 kg. These shakes can be a convenient way to add more protein to your diet. However, keep in mind that too much can still lead to excess calories. Another study found that shakes containing 20-80 grams of protein all reduced hunger by 50-65%, regardless of the amount of protein in their shakes. So if you are trying to lose weight, 20 grams per serving of your shake seems sufficient to reduce hunger. Conclusion: Protein can decrease appetite by affecting your hunger hormones. It can also help you feel full for longer, which may help you eat less and lose body fat.

• Protein shakes can boost metabolism

High protein intake can increase metabolism, helping to burn a few more calories each day. This is partly because a high-protein diet—especially when combined with strength training—can help build muscle. This can speed up your metabolism because muscle burns more calories than fat. In a study with obese participants, they were given protein in shakes of 0 or 200 extra grams per week. Those who received the protein gained 1.3 kg more muscle mass after a 13-week training program. In another study, researchers provided participants with a combination of foods and protein in shakes at 1.2 g/kg or 2.4 g/kg per day. After 6 weeks, those on the high-protein diet gained 1.1 kg of muscle and lost 21.3 kg more fat. It is worth noting, however, that your ability to gain muscle during a weight loss diet may depend on how much muscle you already have. Protein may also increase metabolism due to the amount of calories needed to digest and metabolize it. This is known as the thermic effect of food (TEF). For example, 15-30% of calories from protein are burned during digestion, while only 5-10% of calories from carbohydrates and 0-3% of calories from fat are burned during digestion. Conclusion: Protein helps to boost metabolism because a large amount of energy is spent to digest and metabolize it. It also helps to build muscle, which burns more calories than fat.

• Protein shakes can help lose weight and belly fat

Generally, researchers agree that high-protein diets can help lose more fat, especially fat in the belly area. In one study, participants on a diet that provided 25% of calories in the form of protein lost 10% more abdominal fat after 12 months than those who ate half that amount. In another, participants who received an extra 56 grams of whey protein per day lost 2.3 kg more by the end of a 23-week study period, despite not consciously changing anything else in their diet. Another study compared the effects of different weight loss diets. Participants who consumed more protein lost 14.1 kg in 3 months—23% more than those who consumed less protein. In a final study, participants on diets that received 30% of calories from protein lost 3.7 kg more than those on diets that received 15% of calories from protein. Conclusion: Protein shakes are a convenient way to increase your daily protein intake. This can help boost fat loss, especially around your waist.

• Protein shakes can also prevent muscle loss and metabolic slowdown

Weight loss diets often cause you to lose muscle mass, which can slow down your metabolism. This makes it easier to regain all the weight you lost (and more) once you stop the diet. A high protein intake combined with strength training or weight lifting can help prevent some of this muscle loss and metabolic slowdown. In fact, researchers reported that the metabolism of participants decreased less on a weight loss diet that received 36% of calories in the form of protein than on a diet that provided approximately half that amount. Evidence shows that consuming a protein shake daily as part of a weight loss diet can effectively help maintain your muscle mass up to three times. A study done on athletes on weight loss diets, either receiving 35% or 15% of calories from protein. Both diets helped participants lose approximately the same amount of fat, but those who consumed more protein lost 38% less muscle mass. A recent review of these studies further indicates that weight loss diets exceeding 1.0 g/kg of protein per day may help adults preserve more muscle and lose more fat. Conclusion: Protein shakes consumed during a weight loss diet can help prevent muscle loss and metabolic slowdown. This is particularly effective when combined with strength training or weight lifting.

• Protein shakes can help prevent weight regain after weight loss

The effect of protein on metabolism, appetite, and muscle mass may also prevent the regain of fat that you worked hard to lose. One study reports that participants who received more protein lost more weight and maintained their results better than those who received less protein. In fact, the high-protein group regained only 9% of the lost weight, while the low-protein group regained 23%. Another study of participants who had just received a weight loss intervention received a supplement of 48.2 grams of protein per day. Participants who took the supplement felt fuller after meals and regained 50% less weight 6 months later, compared to those who did not receive any supplement. Another study observed similar effects with a supplement providing only 30 grams of protein per day, demonstrating that more is not necessarily better. Conclusion: Additional protein, whether from shakes or whole foods, can help minimize weight gain after weight loss.

• What type of protein is best?

Different types of proteins have different effects on the body. For example, whey is absorbed more quickly than casein, helping to feel less hungry in the short term. One study reported that 56 grams of whey protein per day helped overweight and obese participants lose 2.3 kg more fat than the same amount of soy protein. Another describes whey protein as 3 times more effective in maintaining muscle-building capacity during a weight loss diet than soy protein. That said, not all studies agree that whey is superior. For example, one report notes that the results of rapid effects on hunger reduction show no differences in the amount of calories consumed at meals. Additionally, several studies indicate that the amounts of fat loss are similar with the use of whey, soy, rice, or egg protein supplements. A final factor to consider is the quality of the protein. Whey, casein, and soy all contain all the essential amino acids that the body needs. On the other hand, rice and hemp protein are low in the essential amino acid lysine, and pea protein is also low in the non-essential amino acids cysteine and methionine. That said, these deficiencies are unlikely to cause a health problem unless your shakes are the only source of protein in your diet. Moreover, many plant-based protein powders are blended with different sources so that the mix contains all the essential amino acids. Conclusion: The exact type of protein powder you have in your shakes should not make a significant difference for fat loss. Some studies show a whey advantage, but the evidence is mixed.

• Dosage and side effects

Taking 1 shake per day should be a good way to start. It is best to take it either before or instead of a meal, with 1 or 2 tablespoons of protein powder in the shake. Blending it with water, ice, and perhaps a piece of fruit in a blender is a simple way to create a delicious and satisfying shake. Side effects such as bloating, cramps, gas, and diarrhea may occur if you are lactose intolerant and drink shakes made with whey or casein. These symptoms can easily be avoided by switching to non-dairy protein powders, such as egg, pea, soy, hemp, or rice protein powders. It should be mentioned that it was once thought that high-protein diets could have negative impacts on kidney and bone health, but more recent research shows that this is not true. In fact, high protein intake was shown not to cause any kidney damage in healthy individuals. However, low-protein diets may be beneficial for people with kidney issues. Protein is also an essential nutrient for bone formation and maintenance, and research reviews show that there is no reason to restrict your intake to improve bone health. Most studies indicate that total protein intake of 1.2-2.2 g/kg per day provides beneficial effects on weight loss. This amount of protein typically represents about 25-35% of the calories you consume in a day and is generally considered safe. How much protein should you eat per day? Conclusion: Taking one shake per day is a good way to start, with 1 or 2 tablespoons of protein. Some people may experience digestive side effects.

• Share the message with your loved ones

Most people can easily get enough protein without using shakes. That said, these supplements are an easy, safe, and delicious way to add more protein to your diet. If you are trying to lose weight, the extra protein in shakes may help you feel less hungry, help you lose weight faster, and decrease the likelihood of regaining lost fat. Some of our protein shake recipes